They’re unavoidable on social media and most of us quake in fear at the thought of handling them wrong.

The topic is top-of-mind this week due to our recent #PRprochat (get the transcript here). I came across this absolutely wonderful infographic yesterday that explains different types of complainers and how best to handle them. It’s worth a quick bookmark.

Which type are you? I think I’m a cross between the “meek complainer” and the “aggressive complainer” categories. I have a big mouth and am not afraid to use it, but try to only complain when truly frustrated. Being heard makes me shut up quickly.

Understanding these different types of complainers, where you fall personally in the spectrum and how it impacts your own perception, and how others respond to different solutions can be very helpful! It also supports why a one-size-fits-all approach to customer service is rarely a good idea.

Sitting down to personally chat with the most influential, amazing people in an industry was virtually impossible before social media.

One-on-one conversations with heroes, influencers and leaders rarely happened. They just weren’t accessible. How we learned was completely different, too. Experts are now available with the click of a mouse and five seconds of social media searching, and Google happily delivers free education on any topic we can possibly conceive of. Twitter chats, Periscope, Google Hangouts, YouTube videos, LinkedIn articles – expertise is available everywhere we look, with authors and influencers completely open to direct conversation.
If I were a meme or automated gif kinda girl, I’d put one here but, alas, I’m not.
September marked the third anniversary of #PRprochat. Thirty-six Twitter chats!! We’ve gone from a fledgling chat with nobody listening and a moderator grateful if the same three people showed up each month, to a chat with incredible guests like Jay Baer, Gini Dietrich, Danny Sullivan, Jeff Rohrs and more.

Are we focused on social media platforms with hardly any users?
… making decisions on where to build audience for brands based on buzz, instead of fact??

Social media is fantastic – but choosing the right platforms to focus your effort is critical. Otherwise, you are speaking to an invisible audience.
The truth
The marketing industry overflows with massive hype about social media – but is it worth the time investment? Which platform(s) do you choose for your business? How do you decide where to prioritize your time when you have a presence on multiple platforms? How do you know which ones to drop, if you are trying to maintain too many and your staff (or budget) are overwhelmed?

These are questions your social media strategy should address. These decisions must be based on fact, not guesswork or industry buzz, which is what is happening all too frequently.
It’s time to start talking about active users, not accounts. There’s a MASSIVE DIFFERENCE.